FROM CBD NEWS SOURCEBAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Bakersfield Athletic Director Jeff Konya has announced that head baseball coach Bill Kernen will postpone his recently-announced retirement and continue coaching the Roadrunners baseball program in the 2015 season.

Kernen, who announced on May 8 that he would be stepping away from the program after six years at the helm, will remain head coach under his current contract with a year-to-year option moving forward.

“CSUB baseball has grown from nothing to a program of which we are very proud and apparently I have more to accomplish here,” Kernen said. “Jeff Konya is a very persuasive man and the prospect of the 2015 team being outstanding was also a factor.”

Kernen informed Konya of his desire to return during their end of the season evaluation meeting. Kernen had recently won his 400th game as a head coach while leading CSUB to a pair of wins at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, including a victory over tournament-champion Sacramento State.

“I am very pleased that Coach Kernen has made this decision to continue with our program,” Konya said. “It’s obvious he still cares for the student-athletes in the program along with those coming in to play next season; the only person I was comfortable replacing Bill Kernen with was Bill Kernen.”

The Roadrunners are expected to contend again for the Western Athletic Conference title next season with eight of nine starting position players expected to return from this year’s squad along with the majority of the starting and relief pitching staff.

“This is a special group of guys and parents so that part of the decision was easy,” Kernen said.

Kernen will begin his 13th season as a head coach in 2015, he’s posted a 400-328-3 mark while leading both CSUB and Cal State Northridge. He’s compiled a 160-174 record in Bakersfield during the program’s first six seasons of competition. Kernen has been named coach of the year twice in his career, most recently following the 2013 season when he was given the honor by the Western Athletic Conference.

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